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SAS Procedures Guide

Language Concepts

This section highlights several concepts and tools that are useful with base SAS procedures.

Temporary and Permanent SAS Data Sets
SAS data sets can have a one-level name or a two-level name. Typically, names of temporary SAS data sets have only one level and are stored in the WORK data library. The WORK data library is defined automatically at the beginning of the SAS session and is automatically deleted at the end of the SAS session. Procedures assume that SAS data sets that are specified with a one-level name are to be read from or written to the WORK data library, unless you specify a USER data library (see USER Data Library ). For example, the following PROC PRINT steps are equivalent. The second PROC PRINT step assumes that the DEBATE data set is in the WORK data library: 

proc print data=work.debate;
run;

proc print data=debate;
run;

The SAS system options WORK=, WORKINIT, and WORKTERM affect how you work with temporary and permanent libraries. See SAS Language Reference: Dictionary for complete documentation.

Typically, two-level names represent permanent SAS data sets. A two-level name takes the form libref.SAS-data-set. The libref identifies an external storage location that stores SAS data sets in your operating environment. A LIBNAME statement associates a libref with an external storage location. In the following PROC PRINT step, PROCLIB is the libref and EMP is the SAS data set within the library: 

libname proclib 'SAS-data-library';
proc print data=proclib.emp;
run;

USER Data Library

You can use one-level names for permanent SAS data sets by specifying a USER data library. You can assign a USER data library with a LIBNAME statement or with the SAS system option USER=. After you specify a USER data library, the procedure assumes that data sets with one-level names are in the USER data library instead of the WORK data library. For example, the following PROC PRINT step assumes that DEBATE is in the USER data library: 
options user='SAS-data-library';
proc print data=debate;
run;

Note: If you have a USER data library defined, you can still use the WORK data library by specifying WORK.SAS-data-set.

SAS System Options
Some SAS system option settings affect procedure output. The following are the SAS system options that you are most likely to use with SAS procedures:
BYLINE|NOBYLINE
DATE|NODATE
DETAILS|NODETAILS
FMTERR|NOFMTERR
FORMCHAR=
FORMDLIM=
LABEL|NOLABEL
LINESIZE=
NUMBER|NONUMBER
PAGENO=
PAGESIZE=
REPLACE|NOREPLACE
SOURCE|NOSOURCE

For a complete description of SAS system options, see SAS Language Reference: Dictionary.

Data Set Options
Most of the procedures that read data sets or create output data sets accept data set options. SAS data set options appear in parentheses after the data set specification. Here is an example: 

proc print data=stocks(obs=25 pw=green);

The individual procedure chapters contain reminders that you can use data set options where it is appropriate.

SAS data set options are

ALTER= LABEL=
BUFNO= OBS=
BUFSIZE= OUTREP=
CNTLLEV= PW=
COMPRESS= PWREQ=
DLDMGACTION= READ=
DROP= RENAME=
ENCRYPT= REPLACE=
FILECLOSE= REUSE=
FILEFMT= SORTEDBY=
FIRSTOBS= TRANTAB=
GENMAX= TYPE=
GENNUM= WHERE=
IN= WHEREUP=
INDEX= WRITE=
KEEP=

For a complete description of SAS data set options, see SAS Language Reference: Dictionary.

Global Statements
You can use these global statements anywhere in SAS programs except after a DATALINES, CARDS, or PARMCARDS statement:

comment ODS
DM OPTIONS
ENDSAS PAGE
FILENAME RUN
FOOTNOTE %RUN
%INCLUDE SKIP
LIBNAME TITLE
%LIST X
MISSING

For information on all but the ODS statement, refer to SAS Language Reference: Dictionary. For some information on the ODS statement, refer to Output Delivery System and to The Complete Guide to the SAS Output Delivery System.


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